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Monday, September 10, 2007

Do you remember biting into your FIRSTmacaron? I can't honestly say I do.And it was only a year and half ago or so...Did lights flash?Did the earth move?Granted I have done double duty making up for the years sans(without) macarons... Before I ever tasted a macaron I remember seeing these cheery colored disks lined up in Angelina's windowsAnd thinking to myself..eh?They looked awfully sweeeeet to me.That was before I knew better...Well they are awfully sweeeet but so much more is involved..Though not if you asked my second cousin K. who lives in Pigalle.She used to be a oral surgeon and doesn't have much time for macarons. Chocolat -OUI! Macarons NON!Isn't it interesting that macarons are exactly the same shape as the French beret!?At least my cousin is always wearing a macaron!Last week Brit in Norway wrote about eating her FIRSTmacaron...Granted it was a Norwegian macaron...Does that count?Since I can't remember my first macaron, I've decided to immortalize Brit's first.Even if it was Norwegian...*And Brit has been kind enough to let me use her photos to paint from... I plan to work more seriously on my macaron expertise next visit to Paris...IN 20 DAYS!!!Painting them is one thing...But I would like to become truly discerning about the taste and texture.I'll be reading as well as tasting and painting.Not that macs and I aren't already joined at the hip...Ahem...

38 comments:

I remember my first macaron. I didn't like it at all! I was so disappointed. The very strong liqueur flavor turned me off. But since then, I've learned there ones without that taste. And they are so very, very pretty.

Now these macarons. I have previously avoided them thinking they were a "coconut festival" but they obviously are not. What are the shells made of? Are they crisp and crunchy or soft and cookie or cake-like? The colors are to die for. Thanks for sharing your work and beautiful photographs.

For those of you who are longing to have your FIRST REAL experience of a French macaron...May I suggest ordering from Mad MAc NYCI don't get any kickback, though I wouldn't mind it if it was in macarons...Florian Bellanger was the pastry chef of the now much missed New York Fauchon and I have tasted his and can attest they are the REAL thing and excellent!

Alas, another reason I must sell paintings and get to Paris asap. I am, gulp,.... a macaron virgin. Unless the coconut ones count, they were really really fresh. Perhaps I have only flirted with macarons. Ah, mon dieu....

I always had coconut as well and I do not like them at all! These look really yummy though and I do not see the little flakes of coconut I seriously hate. Are they flavored Meringue cookies? What is the filling?

Until seeing the "real" deal here on your site, I, too thought macaroons were the coconut haystacks (which I do like, but I've never met a cookie that I didn't like, unfortunately). But I've never had one like the ones you picture here. Are they like meringue? They are sure pretty to look at!

I forgot to mention, thanks for posting the pic of your cousin again. I love her! Just this morning over coffee, I read an article in Vogue about brooches which mentioned the way French women wear them, and I was having a hard time picturing it. Well, now I know!

Di Overton when you are in Paris in 17!!! days, try to go to a vertical MACARON tasting-Macarons all the same flavor from different purveyors. There should be water, crackers and spittoons provided between bites. If you can't find one, I'll provide the essentials.

A macaron cookie is alot like an Oreo cookie-2 meringue lids (preferably with feet)And a jammy or ganache sandwiched in between.

I remember the first time i ate a macaron. It was 21 years ago. I was madly in love with a certain French man, whos ex rich girl friend use to buy him macarons for breakfast!! Anyway, we went to Laduree, I was attracted to the dainty immaculatly decorated petite fours...but hence settled for the plain yet colorful macaron. I had rose. French husband to be had pistachio.That first bite remind me of what it was like to fall in love! Rich, tender, good from the start to the finish.

I will never forget my first macaron... in Paris with a steaming tiny cup of 'cafe'...(not quite sure of that spelling).. it was Rose flavor and it was..a..little..like..falling..in..love... I was instantly addicted, and knew that I would always love a country that produced THESE COOKIES. Went to Laduree to buy ELEVEN boxes for my nearest and dearestand MACAROONS (coconut) are a DIFFERENT cookie! :)

The best macaroon in both the taste and texture category would have to be Laduree's caramel macaroon. The rose macaroon has an amazingly silky feeling but I am not much on rose-flavored pastries. My husband would disagree as he simply adores them. Laduree's macaroon are the only ones which make me swoon. the only macaroon I have ever actually spit out was a saffron flavored one from Pierre Herme. When he started making them a while back, he did this whole savory series. None were particularly good but the saffron was so awful that I gagged. we are off to Paris on the 24th Have a great trip

I distinctly recall my first macarron - because my appetite was whetted by a Jeffrey Steingarten article in Vogue - oh about 20 years ago - describing them in tantalizing detail. He included a recipe, which, for reasons I can not fathom, I did not use until about 10 years ago. That's the way it is with me, too busy living (chasing rabbits, baiting traps, etc.) to do all the things on my list, but EVENTUALLY I get around to everything (well if I live to be 143!). That first batch did not turn out well....good flavor but extremely poor texture. Then, a few years ago, on a visit to my son (the jazz saxophonist!) in New York I bought a box of assorted Fauchon maccarons. Heaven! And I can't believe they are gone! Thank you for the web site!

I ate my first macarron ten days ago: a frien brought a little box from Switzerland. Nobody at home knew the name of the sweets but me, becouse I read this lovely blog.The were cremy, not very sweet, chocolate, coffee, cream and frambois flavour.Marvelous!!!!!

Oh, yes, I definitely remember! It was Ladurée and chocolate. I started high! :) And really have never managed to adjust my sights lower. When they are good, they are very, very good, but when they are average, they don't do much for me.

Yay for a new trip to Paris! Can't wait to see what you "bring back" for us!

- the old rustic macaron - the new colourful, stuffed Parisian macaron- the macaron of St jean de luz (Louis XIV's favourite)- the macaron of Boulay (De Gaulle's best)- Amiens, Montmorillon, Fontainebleau,Lyon ... and wherelse ???- the day of Macaron - the creation of one macaron new flavour...Some experts (who create them)more experts (who eat them)some books (such as Clémence Boulouque's)You will learn a lot about MACARONS from this tv program that I watched and enjoyed !!!http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6bbb_foliemacaron

First tastes are so important, I remember my first macaron, beautiful, I thought I had finally grown up! My first avacado was a fine occasion too, a grapefruit hot from the tree and the sun, not my first but the first "real" one...etc, food is like smells, very evocative. Also wonderful pictures. France is sunny, obviously getting its blue skies out just for you!

Beautiful blog and paintings!! I LOVE this post!! I LOVE macarons!! I have posted about them many times! Please stop by my blog sometime.. I will try to locate the posts... I would like to link this post to my most recent macaron post if it's okay... My first macaron was at our local bakery in Antony... It was very delish! But, nothing compares to the macarons from Laduree!! I take all my friends who are visiting to this store! It is a special treat! I am sure you are heading that way when you get to Paris.. They always have great window displays.. There are several scattered through Paris.. I like the Champs d'Elycees store because they also have very beautiful pastries!! Please feel free to email me, if you'd like I live very near to Paris.. and I have a lot of friends that live in Paris, too...Take care, Leesa

I just had my first macaron a few weeks ago, at a French market in Edinburgh. I just had to try them after seeing them on your lovely blog so often. I wrongly thought before I tried them that they looked like the same texture as meringues.